The present invention is directed to a device or apparatus for supporting at least one dental handpiece which apparatus includes a housing means for supporting a dental handpiece being disposed in the housing and including an annular or ring-shaped member for receiving and supporting the handpiece and means disposed adjacent the annular member for sensing the presence of the handpiece without contacting the handpiece. The output of the sensing means is utilized to actuate electrical drives when the handpiece is removed from the apparatus and to shut down or turn off the electrical drives when the handpiece is replaced in the apparatus.
It is known to provide apparatus for dental handpieces, which are provided with a switch which will be actuated when the handpiece is removed from a support portion of the apparatus and is replaced. In an example, the removal of the handpiece from the apparatus will cause a switching on of an electrical supply for the apparatus or the handpiece such as a drill drive or an electrical device associated with the handpiece such as an aspirating or suction motor of a suction removal system. The electrical switch preferably has a spring loaded actuating arm, which extends into a pocket or recess, which receives the handpiece so that when the handpiece is returned to the recess of the apparatus it causes the actuating arm of the switch to be moved. Thus, either the removal or the insertion of the handpiece into and out of the recess will cause the switch to be automatically actuated.
Since the apparatus contains several parts fitting precisely with one another, such an apparatus must be constructed with a high dimensional precision and are thus relatively costly to construct. In order to guarantee a reliable circuit, it is moreover necessary to precisely adjust the electrical switch as well as the actuating arm which passes through a support section and into the receiving recess or opening for the handpiece. The precise adjustment of the actuating arm will also include a precise adjustment of the tension or pressure of the spring. In addition, it is disadvantageous that the receiving opening or recess for the handpiece must be matched to the respective handpiece. For handpieces, which have a great deviation from one another in diameter, the known device will require a different size recess.